Our guest this week is Tony Gorgone AKA DJ Gorgz. Tony is very well known in the Perth Italian Community and the Perth music scene. Tony is non stop, a busy father, he has his own hair salon 'Trenz' and he is the resident DJ at the Universal Bar where La Musica, a special night of Italian music happens regularly. It's a fantastic night and great for our community.

Thanks to this week's sponsor Antipasti Deli Cafe where Fabian and his team bring you your local slice of Italy in the heart of Yarraville. Specialising in homemade honest Italian food Antipasti Deli Cafe are known for their amazing coffee, mouthwatering panini, focaccia, salads, homemade gnocchi, arancini and more. With their range of high quality local products as well as incredible products straight from Italy, including wine, liquors, kitchen items and fresh flowers, Antipasti Deli Cafe has everything you need.

DJ Gorgz on Instagram:

DjGorgz Perth Dj (@djgorgz) • Instagram photos and videos

La Musica on Instagram:

(@lamusica_australia) • Instagram photos and videos

DJ Gorgz on Spotify:

Sotto Le Stelle - song and lyrics by DjGorgz, Donatella | Spotify

Antipasti Deli Cafe on Instagram:

Antipasti Deli Cafe (@antipastidelicafe) • Instagram photos and videos

This week we are chatting about the Mediterranean island country of Malta. Our guest Anthony Gauci is a Maltese Australian and we discussed the shared histories of Italy and Malta, as well as the many similarities Malta has with Italy, especially Sicily, such as cuisine, architecture and religion. Anthony is also the author of 'The Family of Valletta', a historical fiction novel set in Malta. You will hear more about the book in the episode and you can also click the links below:

Anthony of Instagram:

Thefamilyofvalletta (@thefamilyofvalletta) • Instagram photos and videos

Find the Family of Valletta on Amazon:

Amazon.com.au : the family of valletta

We have a very fun episode for our listeners this week! In this episode Massimo Corrente meets Justin Merendino. Both of these guests are well known passionate and proud Italian Australians in their 20's and each have joined us on the podcast previously, but with Massimo in Melbourne and Justin in Perth this was their first time chatting together! It won't be a surprise to hear that these guys become instant friends. We had a lot to talk about and a lot of laughs.

A big thanks to our sponsors for this week's episode- Melbourne Arancini. In 2016 husband and wife team Paul and Laura Muscara started Melbourne Arancini, supplying Melbourne and regional Victoria with handmade, delicious arancini made with the freshest ingredients. Arancini flavours range from traditional Bolognese Ragu, Four Cheese Broccolini, Pizzaiola, Arrabiata and fan favourite Chicken, Leek and Mushroom. They even do special flavours for the holiday season like Garlic Prawn Arancini. They really are Melbourne's best, made fresh. To hear more about Melbourne Arancini listen to the episode or click the links below.

Melbourne Arancini on Instagram:

Melbourne Arancini (@melbournearancini) • Instagram photos and videosMelbourne Arancini Website:

Home | Melbourne Arancini

Massimo on Instagram:

Massimo Corrente (@masscorrente) • Instagram photos and videos

Justin on Instagram:

Justin (Giustino)Merendino (@justin_merendino_raywhite) • Instagram photos and videos

Previous episodes with Massimo:Episode 68: The Fully Sickest of Them All featuring Massimo Corrente - The Italian Australian Podcast | Podcast on Spotify

Episode 84: Favourite 'Nonni words' featuring Massimo Corrente - The Italian Australian Podcast | Podcast on Spotify

Previous episode with Justin:

Episode 99: Remember the name Justin Merendino - The Italian Australian Podcast | Podcast on Spotify

This week we are chatting about the region of Calabria. Our guest Francesco lives in Calabria and is a content creator who is passionate about bringing exposure to this beautiful region of Italy and assisting tourists to experience Calabria. Be sure to check out his page Akalabria, see the link below. With our Calabrese heritage this was an especially valuable chat for us and we loved getting an insight into Calabria in 2025.

Akalabria on Instagram:

Akalabria ®️ | Calabria Cultura Storie Turismo (@akalabria) • Instagram photos and videos

We had so much fun recording this week's episode as our guests are two of our Aunties, Aunty Grace and Aunty Mimma, sisters of our Dad Melo. We are very close with our Aunties and loved chatting with them about the importance of family, especially in Italian Australian culture. We heard some of their stories about growing up Italian Australian, their experiences at the family business, a fish and chip shop and they also shared some great tips for budgeting and running a household.

This episode will bring you the motivation you need to start speaking Italian. Our guest this week is Melissa Monteleone, a proud Italian Australian from Melbourne. We loved hearing Melissa describe her passion for her culture and we bonded over a shared Southern Italian heritage. We chatted about the way of life in Italy and the relaxed way of life over there. Melissa told us about what she has discovered about the value of studying Italian through the studies she is currently doing. If you have been thinking about improving your Italian language skills we hope this chat will bring you the inspiration you need.

This week we are talking about raising Italian Australian children, our guest Marco Petta is a new father but he isn't new to our podcast, having joined us in many previous episodes. It was wonderful to chat with him about this exciting new chapter in his life.

Find Marco on Insta:

Marco Petta (@marcopetta_doesthings) • Instagram photos and videos

More episodes with Marco:

Episode 18: From Milan to Adelaide featuring Marco Petta - The Italian Australian Podcast | Podcast on Spotify

Episode 31: Marco Petta talks Sanremo 2024 - The Italian Australian Podcast | Podcast on Spotify

Episode 57: Marco Petta always in the action - The Italian Australian Podcast | Podcast on Spotify

Episode 64: Marco Petta talks Adelaide Italian Festival 2024 - The Italian Australian Podcast | Podcast on Spotify

Our guest this week is Josephine, founder of Sydney based travel company Irpinia Escapes. We had a fantastic time chatting about visiting Italy and having an authentic travel experience, one that takes you beyond the usual hot spots. In addition to being a travel company, Irpinia Escapes provides assistance to travelers to reconnect to their relatives in Italy. Irpinia Escapes will take you to the Southern Italian region of Campania, close to Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Irpinia offers a peaceful break from the crowds. Listen to the episode to hear more and you can also click the links below:

Irpinia Escapes on Instagram:

Irpinia Escapes (@irpiniaescapes) • Instagram photos and videosIrpinia Escapes website:

Irpinia Escapes | Discover ancient cultures and new experiences